Hi Morwenna and all - I'd dearly love to join in with this. But my personal preference would be to start from the beginning, I'm usually hesitant to dive in at a random point - in this case at rotk, as it's been at least a year since I read fotr and TT. I feel I'd lose enjoyable, analytical insights from the earlier chapters, which would shed light on the latter ones. Plus I joined the forum long after those chapters were initially covered here - would be fun to go on this journey alongside you guys from ch 1.Would anyone be interested in returning to the beginning, building on previous analysis, but also addressing new/follow on questions? I'm happy to get a new batch of the questions going for The Long expected Party. We can pick up from the existing thread on that chapter.

What do you think? If you're not keen on going back to the start, no problem...but if you like the idea, I'll get started!

I still come around now and then. I often say I'm coming back soon but then RL comes along and...well, you know how it is.

But really, I promise, if someone responds to one of the threads, I will do my best to follow up and respond too! I might even pose a question or two of my own!

"And it is said by the Eldar that in water there lives yet the echo of the Music of the Ainur more than in any substance else that is in this Earth; and many of the Children of Ilúvatar hearken still unsated to the voices of the Sea, and yet know not for what they listen."

Long Expected Party sounds good, but I was disappointed that we never got any farther than we did before! I've been mulling over the possibility of starting the next chapter, but RL does get in the way, and I never feel able to pose interesting questions! (I'm much better at putting in my oar on the answers... )

Could we do both? Are the old posts too old, or too awkward, or something? Do people want to start fresh, without recourse to what was said before?

Eh...at a rate of 3 posts per year, it's going to take a while no matter what...

My tuppence worth: Start over. Even if the same questions are asked, our answers will change because we have changed.

"And it is said by the Eldar that in water there lives yet the echo of the Music of the Ainur more than in any substance else that is in this Earth; and many of the Children of Ilúvatar hearken still unsated to the voices of the Sea, and yet know not for what they listen."